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Motor Shows Video

Video highlights from Goodwood FoS 2014

Jay Kay, LaFerrari, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Goodwood Festival of Speed truly is one of the motoring world’s great events. It’s becoming increasingly important for manufacturers, who often turn up with world premieres, such as the McLaren 650S GT3 this year.

After the break there’s a collection of clips which showcase the diversity of the cars and drivers on show. Most of the clips have been sourced from the official Goodwood YouTube channel and if you have a spare 24 hours to kill you can watch all the action from the three days of the event.

2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed Full Replay // Day 1 // Day 2 // Day 3

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Alfa Romeo Video

Alfa Romeo 4C bales out at Goodwood

Alfa Romeo 4C

It’s brief, it’s painful, but you can’t stop watching it. Here, the Alfa Romeo 4C gets a lesson in understeer and farming at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Thankfully, both occupants in the car were able to walk away from this one.

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Porsche Targa Tasmania Video

Jim Richards talks about his new Cayman S

Jim Richards, Porsche Cayman S

Jim Richards is an eight-time Targa Tasmania winner. Each of those wins has been at the wheel of a Porsche 911 of some description. This year, though, Jimmy drove a mid-engined Cayman S with PDK. So what was it like? Watch this video to find out…

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Porsche Video

Porsche 918 tackles Goodwood FoS hillclimb

Porsche 918 Spyder

Let’s start your week with a run up the famed Goodwood hillclimb course, filmed aboard the Porsche 918 Spyder at the Festival of Speed on the weekend.

The brief clip Porsche has made with titled “Sounds of Goodwood 2014” is a nice little treat as well.

Mark Webber was at Goodwood on the weekend and was tasked with the chore of driving the Porsche 911 GT1-98, with any luck Porsche will have some footage of that soon as well.

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Audi Mercedes-Benz Volkswagen

Mercedes v Volkswagen: Four-cylinder warfare

Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG engine

Mercedes-Benz has returned serve to Volkswagen in the increasingly public battle for four-cylinder supremacy.

Recent concepts from Volkswagen and Audi have shown the Volkswagen Group is looking to push beyond the 300kW (400hp) mark with a revised version of its familiar EA888 2.0 litre.

Jochen Martin Schmid, AMG Powertrain Development engineer, has boldly stated Mercedes will win this battle.

“We cannot, and will not, let them get ahead of us,” Schmid declared. “If that means the start of a new power war for four-cylinder cars, then it’s the start of a new power war for four-cylinder cars.”

Schmid gets specific, too, saying the 2.0 litre used in the A45 AMG has more development potential.

“Theirs is based on the EA888, right? That’s a pretty old engine now and ours is a completely new concept with room for development,” he said.

The cause of these power games can be traced back to Volkswagen’s recruitment of Friedrich Eichler, the man who oversaw the introduction of AMG’s first four-cylinder engine, used in the A45. With 265kW/450Nm it currently holds rank as the world’s most powerful production-based four-cylinder engine.

Despite Schmid’s dismissal of the EA888 engine, Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi Chief Technical Officer, is showing faith in his product.

“For production, we have to change the cylinder-head, because in the EA888 it has the exhaust manifold in the cylinder-head now,” Hackenberg explained when talking about the 309kW/450Nm TT quattro sport concept. “With this engine and its output, it produces too much heat in the head to keep it like that, so we have to change it.

“But, apart from swapping in some stronger parts, it can still be made within our production system.”

The net result of all this is the fact it’s looking like the A45 AMG Black Series, or whatever Mercedes has up its sleeve, will have to push beyond 310kW (415hp) if it’s going to win this war.

You know, it’s not all that long ago we used to salivate over the 309kW/430Nm 4.2 litre V8 in the B7 RS4. And soon we’ll be having that sort of power in a Golf-sized hatch. Keep fighting Mercedes and Volkswagen, keep fighting!

[Source: motoring.com.au | Thanks to John for the tip]

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Is Ricciardo being favoured over Vettel?

Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel

Right from the season outset Daniel Ricciardo has shown he’s neither intimdated nor inferior to Red Bull Racing’s golden child Sebastian Vettel. The young Aussie is comfortably ahead of the four-time world champion in the 2014 standings and has more often than not been the best of the drivers left in the wake of the runaway Mercedes AMG drivers.

Neither of the Red Bull drivers had a weekend to remember in Austria, but Ricciardo collected some consolation points, while Vettel suffered yet another retirement. Is Vettel’s poor run simply down to bad luck, or is it something more?

Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion who now works in the media, says something more sinister is at play.

“He’s a four-time World Champion who has earned the titles won, but now Red Bull Racing is treating him like they were to Mark Webber,” Villeneuve said in an interview with OmniCorse.it [translated].

Villeneuve goes on to suggest that the season is all but over for Vettel, as far as Red Bull is concerned.

“They seem to have decided to focus only on Daniel Ricciardo,” he added. “Now they want to ‘kill’ Sebastian because the German is not able to give another image of Red Bull. Of course, he cannot stand one more season.

“Helmut Marko has now also started to criticise him. When you lose control of the team and the policy begins to have an ever-increasing weight, you’re finished.”

Yet, Villeneuve’s most emphatic statement was yet to come. The former F1 champ says Vettel must leave Red Bull Racing.

“Vettel is finished there, he needs to change team.”

According to Villeneuve Ferrari would be Vettel’s most likely destination, claiming Alonso will be tired of carrying the team on his own, while Raikkonen lacks the finesse to drive a modern F1 car.

These comments from Villeneuve, made early last week, may well be chasing headlines, but what a headline!

[Source: RichlandF1 | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Auctions & Sales Formula 1 News

Rushing to buy movie props

Rush movie replica Niki Lauda Ferrari

If you loved Ron Howard’s F1 movie Rush—and let’s face it, who didn’t—then you might love to buy yourself a souvenir from the film. Up for sale right now are a series of props from the movie including the replica of Niki Lauda’s Ferrari you see above—click here for the full catalogue of items.

While that replica Fezza has a five figure asking price (although a surprisingly small one), many of the smaller items are well within reach of the average punter. There is a 15% buyer’s premium and they do offer global shipping (prices quoted separately).

So, get to it, see what you can get your hands on!

[Source: Speedhunters | Thanks to Tiaan for the tip]

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Peugeot

Peugeot 208 GTi 30th Anniversary revealed

Peugeot 208 GTi

Peugeot’s little hot hatch is turning 30 years old. To celebrate they’re producing this 208 GTi 30th Anniversary Limited Edition model, which has just been revealed at the increasingly important Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The 208 GTi 30th will go on sale in November after a full launch at the Paris Motor Show in September. For now we don’t know how limited this model will be or if any will be coming to Australia.

We do know that the crazy “dual-material livery” is optional and we assume it’s only available in the black/red combo you see here.

The standard 208 GTi has 147kW/275Nm and this model has had its 1.6 litre turbo warmed over a little to produce new numbers of 155kW/300Nm. For the mathemiticians among you you may have already worked out that 155kW equals 208 when measured in old skool horsepower. Enough to make a slight 0.3s improvement on the 0-100km/h time, which can be done in 6.5s in the 30th.

As the old advertising line says, the best way to approach a corner is to “take a lion through it” and to Peugeot’s credit they are living that ethos. Lowered suspension is an easy party trick and 10mm has been knocked off the ride height. More impressive, though, is the increase in track, by 22mm at the front and 16mm at the rear. Small numbers, perhaps, but sure to have a positive difference on handling.

Whenever I see a 205 GTi my little hot hatch heart beats a little faster. Now it may just do the same if I ever see a 208 GTi 30th whiz by.

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McLaren

McLaren reveals special edition 650S

McLaren Special Operations 650S

McLaren is rocking up to the Goodwood Festival of Speed with this black ops (say, that again) version of its 650S. Lovingly crafted by McLaren Special Operations only 50 of these will be made available worldwide.

We’d not be so rude to call this car a cynical exercise in extracting more folding stuff from cashed up buyers, but for your extra money you get “a number of carbon fibre styling upgrades” painted in a choice of three unique colours: Papaya Spark (a slightly different McLaren orange), Agrigan Black (a slightly different metallic black, with hints of ruby sparkles, ooh) and Sarigan Quartz (a slightly different metallic silver, with a subtle gold infusion—can anyone say alchemy).

You also get fancy 10-spoke “Palladium colored” alloy wheels. Sorry, “super lightweight” alloy wheels with a unique diamond-cut effect. To be fair they do save 4kg of unsprung weight.

And to top it all off, when you collect the car, you’ll be handed a goodie bag containing a pretty picture signed by Frank Stephenson and another bag, this one is very fancy with MSO branding and it’s even made from stealth black carbon fibre leather. Truly, it is!

There’s no word of any performance enhancements.

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Honda Video

Predator wolves used to promote Civic Type R

Honda Civic Type R 'Disruption' video

And not just any predator wolves, either, these ones have evil bioluminescent eyes! Not any old cheesy 1980’s film clip bioluminescent, but evil bioluminescent goddamit!

It’s all part of a promo for the new Civic Type R called ‘Disruption’. Here’s a snippet of Honda’s description (and, please, make sure you read the whole thing):

The campaign kicks off with the sixty second film, ‘Disruption’. We open on a sunny suburban street. A family is packing a picnic into the boot of their car. Everything is happy and jolly, including the music. It’s the most generic car film you’ve ever seen. Suddenly, the picture distorts and pixelates and the Honda R-Rated advisory flickers up on screen, as though someone just hijacked the broadcast. We see the Honda R-rated advisory notice appear. The warning disappears into black.

Sounds ace, doesn’t it! (No, not really.) So, what are you waiting for, take the jump and watch this masterpiece…

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing Renault

My name is Christian and I am not amused

Christian Horner

After one of his team’s most lack lustre grands prix in some time Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner made it clear where he thinks the blame rests for the under performing RB10.

Horner is clearly unhappy with the reliability of the Renault power unit. “It’s frustrating that we’re in the situation that we are,” he said, speaking to Autosport.

“We’ve won all the races and all the championships that we’ve achieved with Renault power. But the situation just isn’t improving at the moment.

“The reliability is unacceptable. The performance is unacceptable. There needs to be change at Renault. It can’t continue like this. It’s not good for Renault and it’s not good for Red Bull.

“We need to work together as partners. There will not be another engine in the back of the car next year, but we want to be competitive and we want to run at the front.”

For their part, Renault isn’t shying away from its responsibilities.

“The anxiety that Christian feels, and the frustration he feels after a result that is not at the full potential of the performance of car and power unit, is completely understandable and shared by us,” acknowledged Renault deputy managing director Rob White.

“But we are completely committed to making progress as fast as we possibly can and I think we have shown signs of progress before now. This is a process that is completely shared with Red Bull, and the objectives are known and understood.”

[Source: Autosport | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Jaguar

Jaguar greenlights F-Type Project 7

Jaguar F-Type Project 7

Last year Jaguar debuted the one-off F-Type Project 7 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Now, we’re very pleased to say, Jaguar will again bring the Project 7 to Goodwood (26–29 June). Only this time it will be the debut of the production model. Yes, they’re going to build it, and it’s coming to Australia too!

The Project 7 will be the most powerful production Jaguar ever made. That’s all thanks to 423kW/680Nm supercharged 5.0 litre V8 sent to the rear wheels through a ZF 8-speed auto. For those playing at home, that’s a 19kW increase over the F-Type R Coupé, while maximum torque remains the same.

Jaguar claims the Project 7 will see off 100km/h in 3.9 seconds and will top out at an electronically controlled 300km/h. As well as performance you can tick off carbon ceramic brakes, 20″ alloys, model specific adjustable suspension, a gnarly sounding exhaust system and splashes of carbon fibre bodywork as standard equipment.

Only 250 will be made by Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations skunkworks with deliveries scheduled to commence in mid-2015. At this stage there’s no pricing confirmed, but with the F-Type R Coupé priced at around $220K here in Australia, we reckon the Project 7 will be north of $250K.

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